


soulmates

by Anonymous



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, mute!red
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2019-11-13 10:37:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18030146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: The Oak family has always produced some of the strongest Trainers. Green always knew that someday, he would have to set out on his (forced) pilgrimage to the Gym Leaders, to beg them for the eight badges that would allow him to show the rest of the world that he had enough control over his powers.He never expected that Red would have to go on that same journey.(In which Pokémon are a direct manifestation of your soul, and Trainers are thought to be a threat to society because of the abnormal powers they possess.)





	1. Chapter 1

No one wants to be a Trainer, not anymore.

Green heard that in his grandfather's time, it was an honor to reach your twelfth birthday and find out which Pokémon would manifest for you. Most people manifested normal Pokémon, like Ratata, Pidgey or Weedle, but that Pokémon was still a part of _you._  Even if that Pokémon was not the rarest or most powerful, even if you only manifested one, it was still something that came from your soul, something you could form an immediate connection with.

Back then, those with stronger Pokémon were placed into a specialized school for Trainers at thirteen, mostly to find your type specialization and teach you how to control your Pokémon and form a stronger bond with them. Back then, it was considered an honor to be given an acceptance letter to those types of schools. Back then, graduation from those schools as a Trainer guaranteed you a job, success and stability in life.

But in the end, Pokémon were still manifestations of people's souls. If the person was corrupt, their Pokémon would be too. When news spread of rogue Pokémon attacking innocents, or worse yet, Trainers who commanded their Pokémon to commit crimes and get away with them, mass panic ensued. 

The Great War started, destroying 90% of the Trainer population. 

After the Great War ended, the League cracked down on rogue Trainers who refused to abide by the rules. Mandatory registration, newly engineered shackles that severely limited Trainers' abilities and tracked their whereabouts, and a forced pilgrimage to each of the League-approved Trainers to get their stamp of approval. Only after obtaining the badges of all eight Gym Leaders would the Trainer be deemed "safe" for society and be allowed to live with everyone "normal". 

See, Green always knew that he would have to make the Pilgrimage someday. The Oak family had a history of being strong Trainers; his parents, who had been one of the first targets during the Great War; his grandfather, who had long retired from actively using his Pokémon and focused more on Pokémon research, were known as one of the strongest Trainers in Kanto. 

(Most people did not know how strong Professor Oak was, only that he was strong. But Green saw firsthand, and he knew that if they knew that his grandfather could summon 150 species of Pokémon, they'd drive a stake through him where he stood without batting an eye.)

It was only a matter of time before Green manifested a strong Pokémon and had to beg for badges of approval from eight strangers scattered across Kanto. Everyone knew that, and so they kept their distance because Green was a Trainer-to-be and they were freaks and people stayed away from freaks. Everyone except Red, who had defended Green from bullies on the first day of school, and thus gained more unwanted attention for defending a freak.

But no one expected that when the bullies decided to pick on Red yet again that Green would step in, that his chest would shine and a shimmering form would appear, standing between Green and the bullies. The tiny creature growled, and the bullies turned tail and fled, leaving a dumbstruck Green alone with his first Pokémon. Because the earliest a Pokémon would manifest was on a person's twelfth birthday. 

Green was only ten.

He scooped Eevee up in his arms, hyper aware of her soft fur and little squeaks and just how _small_ she was. Red reached over his shoulder and petted her cautiously, and Eevee rubbed her face into his palms. She decided that she liked being with Red better and hopped over to him, and Red gave him a smug grin as Eevee settled on his shoulders. "Traitor," Green grumbled, but there was no heat to his words.

Within minutes, the teachers decided to appear and pummel Green to the ground. They shoved his head into the dirt and batted Eevee away with their own Pokémon as she clamored at them, but ultimately she was an untrained Pokémon and the teachers were adults and physically stronger than a ten year old and trained to deal with any unexpected manifestations. 

Then, they snapped the restraining cuffs on him.

He screamed when they were put on, a gargling cry that barely sounded human even to his own ears. Because Eevee was _right there,_ in Red's arms where she belonged, but she was also being cut off from Green, and Green hated it and he wanted it to stop but they weren't stopping, why weren't they stopping--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next thing he remembered was waking up in his bedroom on the second floor, but the shackles were still on and the door was locked and he was alone. He scratches at the shackles around his wrists until his skin breaks, stumbles over to the door and scrabbles at it until his fingernails break and bleed, but no one comes. Not Eevee, not Red, no one but himself and a gaping hole in his chest that they would have filled.

He slumps to the ground, defeated, and resigns himself to his fate.

* * *

 

Everything afterwards is a blur. He knows that Daisy makes frequent trips to his room to give him food and water, and some imposing men stay outside the room to watch their every move. He remembers Daisy running her hand through his hair after bandaging his arms and fingers, whispering something to him that he guesses is meant to be comforting but he does not remember a word of what she said so he supposes that it's useless. He knows she is not allowed to stay for long.

* * *

 

 

He only starts to snap out of it when some League officials gather in his house for a meeting. Daisy helps him down because he can hardly stand on his own, not after days of picking at his food. He sits where Daisy directs him to and glances around the room, irritated that they seem to approve of his weakened state. He bites his tongue and folds his hands in his lap, and directs his burning gaze to the floor.

His grandfather starts. "Putting the restraints on someone while their Pokémon is still manifested is shown to be dangerous, and we have evidence to prove it. You know this!" 

"He was dangerous," they argue back.

"He's ten!" His grandfather shouts. "It was just an Eevee," he said again, softer this time, eliciting a spark of anger in Green.

Some part of him, buried under the resentment of being treated lesser than human because of something out of his control, knows that his reaction is uncalled for, but the words tumble out of his mouth anyway. "Fuck you, gramps. Are you saying I'm weak?" Green growls.

The room falls silent. Everyone turns to stare at him. The hole in his chest burns. 

"I can't help that I'm not a _weakling_ like the rest of you," he continues despite himself. "So I can either settle for being weak, or I can be a menace to everyone?"

"Green, stop," Daisy hisses.

Someone in the room sighs. "Clearly the boy is a Trainer, and a dangerous one at that. We should just put him down."

"He is my grandson, and he is  _is right there--"_

Daisy steps forward. "Look, the only problem with Green's Pokémon is that he manifested too early, right? He didn't hurt anyone, and his Eevee even responded positively to Red." Hesitantly, everyone in the room nods in agreement. "So all he has to do is go on the Pilgrimage."

His grandfather clenches his jaw. "He's only _ten._ "

There's so much more hidden in that statement. Because most people manifested stronger Pokémon at later stages of life and therefore went on their Pilgrimages when they were older, but Green was only ten. It was almost unheard of for someone to embark on a Pilgrimage at twelve, let alone at ten. It did not help that Pilgrimages had a mortality rate of 20% for people of all ages and 50% for people aged 12-16. There was no existing data for anyone younger than that.

Someone else interjects. "The law says that if you're a Trainer who has manifested any Pokémon not on the list of common Pokémon, you go on the Pilgrimage. He's not exempt just because he's your grandson."

His grandfather opens his mouth to retort, but Green stops him. "It's only two years earlier, gramps. I'll be fine."

Everyone in the room gapes at him, but it's too late to take back his words. Besides, Green is not a quitter. He'll go on the Pilgrimage and return with all eight badges, and he'll shove them all in these old farts' faces. And maybe show them off to Red too, but that was not a priority.

"I'll leave tomorrow. I'll return alive from the stupid Pilgrimage, and I'll be the best Trainer you've ever seen."

He pretends he does not see Daisy burst into tears, because what he says may as well be a death sentence.

 

* * *

 

Red comes by the next day, right as Green is about to leave for his Pilgrimage. He has obviously heard about Green's impending adventure from someone, because his brows are furrowed and his fists are clenched and he gives Green a  _look._ Green scoffs. 

"Don't give me that look," Green says, leaning back in his chair. "I have to go."

Red shakes his head, lowers his gaze and chews his lip slowly. After a while, he reaches across the table to grab Green's hand, his fingers brushing over the newly placed shackles. Green flinches and pulls away, looking away from Red hastily, but not fast enough to avoid seeing the hurt in his best friend's eyes.

"I have to go," Green repeats slowly, enunciating every word carefully. He tries not to let his temper get the better of him, but it has been harder ever since they snapped the cuffs on him and separated a crucial part of him from himself. "That's not up for discussion."

Red just nods. 

"Then why the fuck are you here?" Green snaps. Red hesitates, and suddenly Green notices the matching cuffs on Red's wrists. He stands up and slams his hands on the table, eyes fixated on Red's restraining cuffs. "Why are you shackled?"

He stretches out a hand, expecting Green to take it, and Green finally gets it. Green slaps it away. The hole in his chest gnaws at him. 

"You're not coming with me," he hisses. "You're not coming with me because you can't be a Trainer, not at this age. You're staying in Pallet and living a normal life now that you don't insist on being my friend." 

Because in the end, it was Green's fault that Red was treated like an outsider. Because Red and Green were friends, and Red was friends with the dude who was definitely going to become a Trainer, because his parents and grandfather and generations before them all had strong Pokémon and they were freaks of nature that should be outcast from society. Sure, Red would not have really fit in either because of his speech and learning problems, but it would have been infinitely better than being associated with Green.

But it was too late, because if Red was shackled that meant that he had already manifested a Pokémon, and that meant Red was doomed to undergo the Pilgrimage no matter what.

Red says something but it comes out as a garbled mess. It takes a while for Green to process what Red said before he really understands what Red says. "Don't be scared," Red says again, and something inside Green breaks.

"Shut up!" He hollers, ignoring the way Red flinches. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Again, the words tumble out of his mouth without restraint. He knows he should stop. Red is sensitive to emotions loud noises, but Green can't stop no matter how hard he tries. It feels like he's not in control of himself, hasn't been since he manifested his Pokémon. "I'm not scared of anything. Not gramps, not those old farts, and certainly not _you!"_

Red trembles, and his chest starts to shine. Green has to lift his arms to shield himself from the brightness of it all, and when it finally dims a Pokémon stands between them. Green recognizes it from his grandfather's research notes; a Charmander, it could evolve into a Charmeleon which ultimately evolved into a Charizard. 

Green seethes. Between Trainers, summoning your Pokémon means you were asking for a fight. Red hates Green so much that he'd pick a fight between them before they even start their Pilgrimages. More importantly, Green's first Pokémon is a literal housepet, and Red's first Pokémon is arguably one of the deadliest if evolved right. 

Red's eyes widen, and his hands come up to sign something, but he's going too fast and Green is too tired and angry to care about what Red wants to say. He remembers his grandfather telling him how to summon a Pokémon; imagine reaching into your chest and  _pulling,_ and he does exactly that. Except he can't find Eevee, she's there but he can't find her no matter how hard he looks, and whatever he pulls out is something different. Not Eevee, but still a part of him.

Green grins as Squirtle appears in front of him. His second Pokémon, and he hasn't even formally started his Pilgrimage yet. He would definitely do better than Red.

The two Pokémon immediately start to tousle. Red looks on, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, trying to vocalize his thoughts but failing miserably. Green looks on, smiling to himself, because Squirtle has a type advantage over Charmander and would definitely win.

Then, something in Red's expression changes, and Charmander flips Squirtle onto his back and cracks his shell.

A jolt of pain stabs Green's back, and he gasps, falling to his knees and curling in on himself. Squirtle crawls towards his Trainer, reaching out his paw to touch Green's hand in a silent apology, then returns to Green. 

Green looks up at Red, unshed tears brimming in his eyes, and Red's own eyes dawn with the realization of what he'd done.

"Fuck you," Green spits out. He picks himself off the floor slowly, stumbling across the kitchen to get his bag (packed with what he needed to get through the Pilgrimage alive), dragging himself out of the door and away from Pallet Town.

He manages to make it to Route 1 before he has to slump against a tree and close his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i thought i'd already put this chapter up. guess i was wrong. oops. sorry.

When Green wakes up, he finds a Pidgey perched on his shoulder. He cooes at Green and flaps his wings, and Green cannot resist smiling at him. "Hey there little fella," he whispers, before the events that led up to him being slumped up against a random tree along Route 1 came back to him. He groaned and picked himself up from the ground, letting Pidgey fly around him in a circle before perching on his shoulder. 

The sun had just begun to set, leaving Green with little time left to get to the next town. He could, theoretically, double back to Pallet Town, but there was no way he was going to go back after what happened between him and Red. Besides, whatever lingering pain that occurred when Red's Charmander hurt Squirtle has disappeared, so there was no need to seek help or anything.

Not that he could. No one was allowed to interfere with a Pilgrimage, not even medical personnel. 

"Hey buddy," Green says to Pidgey. "We gotta get to Viridian. Think you can lead the way?" Pidgey trills softly in reply and flies off, leaving Green behind. Green splutters and rushes to catch up, and he has a vague sense that if he could, Pidgey would be laughing at him.

It does not take long to reach Viridian City, but by the time Green set foot in the city the sun had set fully. People have already started to shuffle back to the safety of their homes, and the scant few who still wandered around tended to keep to the back alleys of the city. Green keeps to the main roads where the streetlights are, but he can't help but glance over his shoulder a few times. 

The few hostels that are still open to travelers are either suspicious that someone of his age is travelling alone, or balk at the cuffs around his wrists and stammer out apologies. Green sighs to himself. Gramps did tell him that he had to be prepared to camp out a lot, because a lot of establishments did not take Trainers that were still learning to control their powers. 

He veers off into Route 22 to set up camp (read: roll out a sleeping bag and pray it doesn't rain) when he spots a familiar red cap sticking out among the grass. Pidgey flies over and lets out a series of excited chirps, confirming his suspicions. "Red? What are you doing here?" Green calls out.

Red pokes his head out from the grass and turns to face Green with a deadpan look. Beside him, Pikachu rolls his eyes.

"You know that's not what I mean, dumbass." Green hauls his friend out of the tall grass. They take a seat on a nearby ledge, and Red points at the huge building in the horizon.

"That? That's the Indigo Plateau, where the big wigs are." Red gives him a blank stare, and Green rolls his eyes in response. "Y'know, Trainers who are done with their Pilgrimage and choose to live in seclusion rather than go back to living with normal people. You didn't know?"

Red shakes his head, then cocks his head quizzically. 

"Why? Well... they get to live there without these." Green taps his cuffs, acutely aware of Red's growing interest. "I heard they don't accept just about anyone though. Gotta be strong enough to make the cut. Maybe I'll live up there, or maybe I'll come back down and... I dunno, I thought I'd have more time to figure it out. What about you? You wanna stay up there?"

Red shrugs noncommittally, but there's a twinkle in his eye as he exchanges looks with Pikachu. 

"Well, whatever. I know I'll be strong enough to live up there. Not sure if you'll be accepted since you have that stupid rat with you, but we can all dream, right?"

"It's just a dream for you too," Red says softly. 

"Whatever, loser. You're just saying that so you won't be crushed if you don't make it." Green laughs and relaxes when Red chuckles along with him. Red has been his closest friend since forever because he's one of the only few kids who know when Green is joking and when he's actually using his words as a weapon. He feels a stab of guilt at his actions in the morning, feels a sudden need to address it. "Listen, Red, about this morning--"

Red shakes his head and waves his hand dismissively. 

"So we're cool?" 

Red nods, his eyes earnest. Green almost sags with relief. Almost.

They spent a bit more time sitting on the ledge. Green blabbers on about Pokémon trivia that Red probably already knows, and Red nods and smiles and listens. The Indigo League looms in front of them, both a promise and a warning.

Screw the Pilgrimage. Screw Pokémon and his grandfather and whatever stupid laws started this. He knows that all he needs to be content is his best friend by his side and at his back. He knows Red feels that way too. 

Green wishes this moment could last forever. 

"Hey look, I've gotta go. Or you've gotta go. Whatever. We can't be caught dead together, you know that. Pilgrimages are supposed to be personal. So uh, smell you later." Green stands up and brushes the dirt off his pants, but Red tips forward and grabs Green's forearms. His grips tightens. The message is clear, _stay._  

Green hesitates. On one hand, they might be killed if anyone found out they were breaking Pilgrimage laws. On the other hand... "I mean, it's only one night, and this route's pretty deserted." Red beams, and Green shoots an apologetic look at him in response. "But we really do have to split up in the morning."

Red's expression sombers as he nods. As much as both of them would like some company, they can't risk breaking any rules. He lets Red herd him off to the deeper woods and roll out their sleeping bags in the shelter. When Red's breathing evens out, Green quietly packs his things and leaves. He'll set up camp in Viridian forest.

Rattata manifests that night. He squeaks and runs around Green's feet, tugging the hem of Green's pants in the direction of Route 22.

 

* * *

 

Green makes it to Pewter City in about half a day. He's hungry and in desperate need of a shower and a night in an actual bed, but he heads to the Gym first. If Gramps is right, people are more likely to allow him to rent a room if he has a badge or two.

There's no one lining up outside the gym, so Green just enters and sits on a chair in the waiting room. Some middle aged man takes a handheld machine and scans his cuffs. Something about verification of his identity and not letting other people take his tests or something. He expects to be kept waiting for a while, but Brock emerges a few minutes after the initial scanning.

"Hey kid. You look... a little young." Brock gives Green a once over. He turns to the waiting room attendant and points to Green. "This kid is registered as being on an official Pilgrimage?"

"Um... yes, sir. Everything checks out." The attendant scuttles over with a screen in hand and shows it to Brock, then makes himself scarce. 

Feeling a little left out from the conversation, Green stands and lifts his chin. "So what do I have to do to get that badge? Battle you?"

"What? No." Brock makes a face. "Battling is, uh, a little advanced. I have to teach you how to manifest your Pokémon--"

"Oh, uh, I can already do that." Green waves a hand at Pidgey, who settles on his shoulder and preens happily. Brock squints as Pidgey morphs to Rattata, then stares in shock as Rattata gives way to Squirtle.

"Oh, three already? Man, you're a multi type Trainer, and I got stuck with Rock types. Life really is unfair." Brock sighs, digs through his pocket and takes out a badge, then throws it at Green. Green catches it with ease. "Here you go then."

"...that's it?" Green turns the badge over, examining it closely. It could be a fake.

Brock laughs. "Yeah, pretty much. Most people take a while longer to do it reliably. A week? A month?"

Green preens. "Ha, of course! I'm Green Oak, after all. A natural genius at everything!"

"Oh, duh, you're Oak's grandkid." Brock stops. "W-wait. Isn't the Prof's grandson like, eight or something?"

"I'm _ten._ I'll be eleven in a month."

"You're..." Brock scrunches up his nose. "You're so _young._ You're too young to have manifested."

"Well, I am a genius," Green grouses.

"Yeah, must be the Oak blood." Brock nods to himself. "Alright, if that's it, then you can go. Or you can stay the night in the gym. The only people willing to rent to Pilgrims are full today, I think."

"That's not interfering with a Pilgrimage?" Green asks.

"I'll charge you 100 yen in case they come after us." Brock grins and holds out his hand. Green returns his smile and drops the coins into Brock's palm. He likes Brock already. He is proof that not everyone supports this bullshit Pilgrimage system.

(And yeah, Green gets why the Pilgrimage exists, but there are so many checks and rules that it's like Trainers are set up to fail. If they really wanted to teach Trainers how to control themselves, wouldn't it make more sense to set up a Trainer School or something?)

Brock leads Green to the back where there's a shower, and Green takes the moment to scrub himself thoroughly and wash his clothes too. There may not be many instances where he has the luxury of clean clothes, so he'll take what he can when it is available to him.

He is hanging up his clothes to dry when something occurs to him. "Hey, I have a question. I've got a Pokémon that can't manifest. She was my first manifestation, but I can't. Er, she can't come out. The others are fine, though." 

Brock hums. "Your Pokémon didn't... get attacked or anything right?"

"No, no." Not Eevee, anyway, and as far as he knows Squirtle is doing fine. Weak, but getting better. "Just, it's hard to reach for her. Like, I know she's there, but when I try and reach for her I just pass _through_ her. Makes sense?"

"Her. _Her._ " Brock's eyebrows raise a fraction.

Other people would not have noticed, but Green has had to decode Red's silent mannerisms for years, so he catches on. "What's with that look?" Green demands.

"Nothing. But yeah, I get what you mean."

"So..."

"Usually an emotional block of some kind. Pokémon are the manifestation of our souls, yada yada, means you're not fully in tune with your emotions yet. That's normal, you're only ten." Green opens his mouth to argue that it is not about his age, but Brock cuts in before he can get a word in. "Kid, it's fine. You'll figure it out sooner or later. You haven't even hit puberty yet. Heck, most adults aren't even that in touch with themselves. You're fine, just... give it some time. I'm sure you'll figure it out."


End file.
